Tech Tuesday - Overhaul a BB30 Bottom Bracket

Today's Tech Tuesday is brought to you by Samuel Hardie, a PB member who wanted to know how to change the bearings in a BB30 bottom bracket, and also, the folks at Park Tool, who sent me bottom bracket tools for BB30 and for Shimano's PressFit BB system. Most modern press-in BB bearing systems use a cup or a housing that surrounds the actual bearing, which helps 'cushion' the ultra tight tolerances that frame makers would have to adhere to to press the bearings directly into the frame's BB shell. The cup also makes it easier to remove and replace the bearings, because it is a larger, easier-to-handle piece. Either way, removing and replacing the bearings in threadless bottom bracket shells is a simple process when armed with the proper tools.

How To and How Not To Service a Press Fit BB

There are a couple of methods to remove and replace pressed-in bottom bracket bearings: The first is the crude, but simple BMX method (also called, the Dad Method), that entails pounding out the old bearings with a framing hammer and a BFS (rather large screwdriver) and then pounding the new bearings back in place with a block of wood and a positive, winning attitude. Hey, it works in a pinch, but the probability that you will damage a bearing by pitting the races as you pound on the bearing is almost certain. We recommend the second method - using the Park BBT-30.3 tool and a simple-to-make press using a threaded rod to remove and install press-fit bottom bracket bearings. (Park Tool offers a ready-made press for this task.) The basic technique is a much-evolved version of the Dad Method that it is gentle on the bearings and far more precise when it comes to keeping all the bits aligned during the process.

Before We Get Started, Meet the Key Players

The Park BBT-30.3 removal tool has a stepped plastic guide that ensures the business end is aligned perpendicular to the bearing. The metal rounds are used to keep the bearings in alignment as they are being pressed into the frame.

Assemble the press by tightening the washers between two nuts about five inches inboard. This forms a crude handle. Use a wrench on the opposite nut to press the bearings in.

How to Remove and Replace BB30 Bottom Bracket Bearings

Step 1 - Remove the crankset. In this case, a 10mm Allen key is all that is necessary because Truvativ cranks are self-releasing. Note how all the bits go together and then set the assembly aside.

Step 2 - Angle the removal tool into the bearing and then slide the guide in place. Feel around until you get the business end locked into the opposite bearing's ID.

Step 3 - Before you start hammering, check the tool to be certain that the business end is aligned with the inner race of the bearing. It should not take much force to tap out the cups with the hammer.

Step 4 - After the first bearing is pressed out, the larger flange on the stepped tool guide fits in to the empty BB shell.

Step 5- Clean everything and then put a thin film of grease on the cups where the bearings will press in to prevent creaking.

Step 6 - Slide one bearing assembly onto the threaded shaft and assemble the opposite bearing into place on the bottom bracket shell. Snug up the press finger tight and check that the cups are not canted in the frame before you start cranking with the wrench.

Step 7 - Tighten the press slowly while checking that the bearings are perfectly aligned as they enter the shell. There should be no gaps around the circumference of the cup when you are done. (some BB shells have internal snap rings that the bearing assembly presses up against. In this case, you'll want a snug fit against the snap ring - don't overdo it.)

Step 8 - Put a thin film of grease on the crank axle and spline. Reassemble the bits in the reverse order and torque the crank bolt to the maker's specification. The cranks should spin freely. If not, check the left-side for an end-play adjustment (Truvativ and Shimano have them) and readjust the bearing preload. Otherwise, check for a misaligned bearing or cup and reset that bearing if necessary.

there's a few dozen seatpost sizes on the market, at least a couple dozen front D specs and now all the new options for headsets... geez.standard, integrated, semi-integrated, zero stack, no stack, tapered + all the different diameters

Everything has its pros and cons for different systems though... Really press fit parts are a pain in the ass, which is why headsets are slowly becoming integrated, maybe something like that with bb's? Then just a standardization of widths ect. I think the main issue is where some stuff was made to metric spec, and some stuff to imperial. Then someone innovates a whole new part and a new standardization is born (shimano are shit with this). BUT everything has its reasons. And they tend to stick to their own riding style, bmx is pretty standard, i mean you have 6 types of bb spanish euro and mid, all in 19, or 22mm, not too bad really (though i dont understand euro, just run the f*ck off bearings like the rest of us)

can I make a comment about the article (which is otherwise good information)??

the comment:

"Step 5- Clean everything and then put a thin film of grease on the cups where the bearings will press in to prevent creaking."

this contradicts the information I was given directly by SRAM Technical support - the PF30 system with Delrin cups should be fitted "dry" to the BB shell as the Delrin (nylon) does not require any lubrication or anti-seize and in fact they said it could be detrimental to the long-time durability of the polymer material

however, your advice is true for Cannondale's "BB30" which has bearings sitting directly inside the BB shell, where the technical advice is to use a layer of anti-seize to isolate the bearing surface from the shell

in the BMX world the Spanish and Mid size push-fit BB systems have proven to be very effective, so as long as shell tolerances are correct, problems should not occur.

Right sorry to take this off topic a bit, but Rob you seem the man to ask. Do you know if anyone actually makes a tool to remove press fit BMX BB's? Spent a fair few hours searching and can only find the splay type tools, but i cant see them functioning due to the tube spacer, (assuming the person fitting the bb was sensible enough to pre measure and either fit the right size, or slot in a spacer to elongate the tube spacer). I mean the hammer and socket extension method relies on hitting one side at a time, but i dont get how else you would do it? i mean a bearing puller couldn't fit? But it seems a bit of a flaw in the design not to think of component removal. I am by no means saying i dont like press fit bearings, it means you get the most bearing for the space required (the issue of why on earth we dont use needle bearings is another one entirely).

Anyway my question is is there an actual mid, or Spanish type bb removal tool?

are you asking how it would work because there is a metal spacer sitting in the bb shell between the bearings? if you're asking what i think you are, it wont be a tight fit so get a screw driver in there and just dislodge the spacer so it sits at an angle. that means you then expose a bit of bearing you can then drift out with a screwdrive/ some sort of metal rod going around the inner edge of the bearing.

"I mean the hammer and socket extension method relies on hitting one side at a time"

I was asking if there was a tool that applies even pressure without damaging the bearings, like you get splay tools to remove headset cups, and like the tool in the above article. But i dont get how it would actually fit, because of the tube spacer. Although i cant see how they could have designed such a good system with no thought in replacing the bearings.

Also screwdriver method you are in danger of scoring the bb shell walls, and also ruining the bearings, try using a socket extender, the rounded end makes it a much safer tool for the job

Ah i see as far as im aware no there is not. i suppose the reasoning being if youre removing your bearings then you are doing so because theyre shot and destined for the bin. swapping them over to a new frame i guess i could see a use for such a tool but if youre careful and go round the whole bearing, lots of times ive got them out completely undamaged. and yeh screwdrivers are used when the bearing is worn to shit anyway

But i dont get how it would actually work, or how you could make it fit? this is the thing, if i could think of the tool i would have a go at making one (access to cnc lathes ect are one of the perks of going to school)

I mean i know getting the bearings out unharmed isnt too much of an issue, but it would be great to have puller or something just to save that extra hassle when painting frames ect, also to give the bearings a proper service, rather than get them out and when doing that making them shot and destined for the bin

but there is no specific tools for BMX press-fit BB removal - as chris-adam-media mentioned the assumption is that BB removal will only be performed once the bearings are shot and you are doing bearing replacement

you can often use finger pressure (or a screwdriver) to dislodge the centre spacer enough to expose a lip of the bearing, and the normal practise is to use an old extension bar or even large flat blade screwdriver with mallet and punch the bearing out of the BB shell

you then remove the centre spacer by hand, and this allows you easy access to the other bearing to again, punch it clean out

because bmx frames using press-fit BB, are made from 4130 cromoly steel, you will have no issues with punching bearings out of the press-fit shell, it won't do any damage to the BB's internal diameter

I would certainly have issues performing that procedure on an aluminium-alloy frames as it could cause premature wear to the BB bearing seats, with aluminium alloy frames the proper tooling is a good practise. most alloy BMX race frames tend to use the ISO Euro threaded shell, often with external bearing cranksets

if there are tolerance issues with bmx press-fit, Loctite gap-fill compound will work very effectively, as it does on suspension frames (MTB) with bearing seating issues

Ok, cheers for clearing that up. I have no issues preforming the task myself, i mean i am too lazy to build a decent press fit rig, so stick to the good old hammer and loads of grease method, but it was only that i had to take my bearings out the other day after a year in there, to paint the bike up, and was a bit worried about blowing them. It turned out ok, but i am surprised there is no tool.

Also I think even you would be surprised at the damage an aluminum screwdriver,and a hammer can do to a steel frame... I was servicing a friends bike for him, full bearing replacement, ect, basically he tried doing it himself and got stuck at the bb, once that thing was out the frame was a mess... It was just a matter of hammering the new set in and hoping for the best.

Also i am not a huge fan of loctite, i absolutely love ptfe tape though ha Best stuff ever.

Just another quick question, any idea why tube spacers and bb shells are now longer/wider? Seems a bit silly to expect people to have to slap a spacer on there too, as i know a lot of people who havent done this and just eaten the bb. I would have thought with the longer size being more common now they would supply them in bb kits as opposed to the shorter one?

Also, the best tool for removing the PF30 is actually a headset removal tool. You have to be careful where you line it up but I have removed some with this tool without damaging these crappy BB's. But not if it has been installed with loc-tite, which unfortunately is the best way to secure a PF30 bb. They also make a loc-tite prep that makes the loc-tite harden faster and better, but it is extremely toxic to breath. All bad stuff.

Press Fit bearing BB is crap. The bike engineers can't leave well enough alone. Screw in outboard bearings are a superior system. We have far less trouble with the 'old' system in our workshop than with BB30/Press Fit. Word in the industry is that bike manufacturers are having all sorts of problems coming to terms with press fit. Some companies like Yeti (SB66 for example) are sticking with screw in outboard bearings.

I can't believe that the press fit bb would stand up to the forces involved over the long term. Seems like it would be very susceptible to squeaks and loosening. I am sure it saves time on the assembly line, but not a good standard for long term reliability. Has anyone out there put 1000 miles on one of these bbs without any maintenance? I would guess this setup requires needless tlc.

I have had 5 months of trouble with my PF30 equipped bike, all related to a poor manufacturing tolerance of the non-driveside cup

had replaced the PF30 Bottom Bracket 5 times under warranty, and had the SRAM BB30 crankset inspected under warranty, and had to go the route of swapping pedals, back wheel, chain ring bolts, skewer, etc. to eliminate all possibilities

every time the crank was turned the bike would click and creak. Eventually I had enough and after some further investigation we discovered the non-driveside PF30 side of the BB shell would 'overload' the PF30 cup and cause a brand new bearing to become graunchy and click. Remove the same cup and the bearing felt brand new

the manufacturer (Specialized) was very good in upgrading me to their carbon fibre frame free of charge with only a 3 day turn around, after I stripped the bike, shipped back to them and they found the non-driveside cup was 0.2mm out of tolerance

so any expectation that the delrin (nylon) cups will take up poor manufacturing tolerances is a myth, good tolerances are critical for BB30 and PF30 systems

I usually like RC's contributions but he really blows it here by not being critical of the numerous issues and problems with BB30.

Quite simply, there are no real benifits to BB30, only negatives. Doesn't last, poor seals, creaky, and you shouldn't have to use loc-tite on a BB! Even sissy ass VeloNews has been very critical of BB30 and PF30(even worse), how can a mountain biker like RC pretend this is a good system?

The key here is to never but a frame with anything but a euro BB. I feel confident that all these new BB standards will go away eventually and the euro BB will come back, since it is the only proven, reliable system.

Easy there Tex. The Park Tool works the same for both systems. Its a story about a tool and a technique. Whether or not the system is better, worse or different is a separate subject. If you have one and need to remove or install it, you might need the info.
RC

Ok RC you've shown us how to remove/install the press fit system. You also say "whether the system is better or worse is a different subject". I'd say we've just made it the subject here. We say it's a system that comes with a lot of problems for a lot of customers and is inferior to more reliable and easier to work with outboard bearings. I think deep down you probably agree with us - but are you willing to come out and say it and risk the wrath of some of your friends at Shimano, SRAM and all the bike companies who have committed themselves to this system?

whether we like it or not, the BB30, PF30 and additional push-fit systems are here to stay with many big manufacturers getting behind it on their mid-to-high end bikes

I completely understand the theory behind the systems, and from a performance point of view the increase in frame and crank stiffness is actually very noticeable with PF30

however, the proof is in the "real world" experiences of riders and workshop mechanics who have to live with these systems, and deal with them on a day to day basis

I have used push-fit on BMX for a number of years with 0% issues, and as I mentioned in my post above, my first PF30 experience was not positive due to poor manufacturing tolerances of the frame's PF30 BB shell (rather than bearing or crankset components), but I will give the system another chance and report back in a few months

I shouldn't have been critical of RC for not being critical of all the new BBGARBAGE that has come about in the last few years.
The system is not here to stay and many smart frame manufacturers are staying with the proven euro BB system. Hardly any DH bikes have it, which in itself is revealing. I view it as I view the URT suspension system,.experimentation with lots of hype, but it will go away thankfully. If you have to use loc-tite or you can't reuse a bb after removing it, it is a obvious failure compared to the proven system, then you add on all the other issues on top of that....just go away!

Unfortunately, yet again the tech info on this piece is incorrect. First off the system being overhauled here is a PF-30 not a BB30. A BB30 has bearing that press directly into the frame with cir-clip lockrings that actually fit into slots in the frame. The shell diameters are different as well. Where as here the PF30 with the bearings in their cups are being shown.
Secondly, it is mentioned that the cups press against snap rings.... which don't exist in a PF30 system.
Third, Shimano doesnt have a 30mm spindle for either of these systems.
Next time, Pinkbike, please check your information and actually provide the right tech for the system....

Here it is: The tools and technique are designed for any 30mm BB axle system with pressed in cups or bearings. Pics show a BB with cups, and the vid shows a BB with press-in bearings. Park sent me two BB tools: one for BB30; and one for Shimano PressFit that you will probably see in a future story. I think additional info about the various standards would needlessly over-complicate a simple how-to story.

I think additional info about the various standards (i think there are over 20 now, including road) would show how needlessly complicated the bottom bracket has become compared to the simple and reliable system we had before.

Article is good minus the greasing of the shell before inserting the bearings as i have found the use of stud and bearing fit necessary to have try and solve some of the numerous BB30 problems i've experienced at work. Down with BB30 and long live screw in outboard! Just to say i have a 24" with mid-bb and it's brilliant, but i haven't seen a good BB30 yet.

I know exactly what you mean. I've used up much time on this new garbage, and it is pretty much never as easy as working on a regular BB, and they are so much more prone to have problems. Then you have to use loc-tite, but sometimes that doesn't work out and you have to take it out again and its a big loc tite mess. Honestly, shit like this makes me want to quit the industry and look for other types of work. The bike industry keeps crapping all over itself but if you read the marketing in the magazines its all peaches and cream, or at least that's what they pretend.

It's basically like replacing headset cups, if you haven't got the proper removal tool you can whack them out with a hammer and a screwdriver if your very careful; don't damage the inside of your bb shell. I made my headset press with a half inch threaded bar, two nuts and two biiiiig washers. Then put a spanner on each nut and wind it in. The installation method is much easier than the removal method if you don't have the proper tools. Hitting out the bearings has a big chance of damaging your bb shell.Just from my own experience and it worked fine for my headset cups.

Top BMX Bodge tip... dont sue a screwdriver, use a socket extender, as you get a larger and rounded surface area and just move round giving light taps, tends to get the bearings out unharmed and pretty much eliminates the chances of scoring the frame (bearings are cheap, frames, and bb facing is not)

is it just me or does it look oddly familiar to overhauling a bmx bb. also what happens when you pull it out a couple times does the tube start to open a little? honestly if i ever get a bb30 ill be getting the adaptor for the thread in.

Yes it does damage an aluminum frame, and also I have seen several issues with correctly installed adapters so don't assume will be good for the long term.
I've also seen a Specialized carbon frame that was destroyed by a PF30 that gradually came loose and dug into the frame over 1mm from the rocking back and forth. Doesn't hold up for the long term.

* BMX frames are made of chromolly, and the bearing cartridges are made of aluminium, this means that the bb cartridge shouldn't damage the frame. Also sometimes there just isnt room for an outboard cartridge, so you get more bearing for the size by just throwing in the bearing cartridge rather than the whole shell ect in euro type bb's

Also as a few people said i dont think carbon holds a thread very well, so this saves all that hassle of tapping carbon, threads to make a euro bb fit. Honestly i dont see the hate for press fit bb's other than people that are too scared to have to hammer something into their frame

Ya i a fan of the threaded rod bearing "tool". If you guys say it works i'll stick with it, not going to spend hundreds on proper bearing tools. This bb30 similar to headset install so should be easy job. We'll see if more bb30s start coming in the shop, look like good idea.